Love Thy Enemy
by Fabulous 32
Summary: Gabrielle come to terms with her best friend being in the body of her worst enemy. A brief interlude between Intimate Strangers and Ten Little Warlords.


**Love Thy Enemy**

 **I was always sad they didn't do more with the Xena in Callisto's body storyline from Intimate Stranger and Ten Little Warlords so I have written a brief interlude as Gabrielle come to terms with her best friend being in the body of her worst enemy.**

 **I own nothing.**

…

Callisto, in Xena's body, was defeated and banished back to the underworld and everyone's life could return to normal… only things weren't normal.

They had returned to the battle damaged remains of the village of Amphipolis and Gabrielle was helping Xena's mother Cyrene right the toppled over benches outside her inn. With half an eye she was watching Xena with Argos… only it wasn't Xena she was seeing cooing lovingly at her injured horse but Callisto. Her best friend, the woman she loved most in the world was now wearing the body of the woman she hated … Gabrielle didn't know what to do.

Xena looked up and saw her staring. She gave Gabrielle a sad smile… which looked so out of character on Callisto's sharp features… before leading Argos out of sight into her mother's stables. Gabrielle sighed. Xena clearly knew exactly how she was feeling, but she still wasn't sure what this would mean for them from now on.

Cyrene appeared at Gabrielle shoulder.

"It's nice that you are staying for a while." she said, her gaze following Gabrielle's towards the stables.

"Xena doesn't want to move on until Argos is completely fit." Gabrielle said quietly.

"Well I have a room prepared for you both. You are welcome to stay as long as you like." Cyrene placed a friendly hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. "I think we all have to get used to this change."

" _If we can…"_ Gabrielle muttered quietly to herself.

There was crash and groan from inside the inn.

Cyrene hurried back inside to see what Joxer had broken now. Garbielle's eyes stayed on the stables.

When they had first emerged from the cave she had assured Xena nothing had changed for them… but Gabrielle was still finding it hard to see her friend behind the mask of the woman who had tore her heart to shreds again and again… almost killing Xena… killing Perdacus… reviving Hope… The list was one painful memory after another.

…

Gabrielle found herself sleeping alone. The room Cyrene had prepared for them had two single beds but Xena had chosen instead to sleep out in the stables alongside Argos. She knew a part of it was Xena giving her space, but it felt strange all the same. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept alone. The thought was instantly clouded by the realisation that the last time she had laid beside Xena, Callisto's soul had really been inside her friend, coiled up like a snake… Gabrielle felt her body give an involuntary shiver at the thought.

To escape the dark memory she tried to picture her future adventures with Xena instead - a thought that always used to make her smile. She tried to see herself fighting alongside her friend but all she could see in her head was Callisto with her dark stare and spiderlike movements… She couldn't see her friend in her dreams at all.

…

Gabrielle had slept fitfully. The next morning she wandered down for breakfast still half asleep and started when she saw Calisto sat at the table digging into a bowl of stew. It took another second before she could see underneath it was Xena sitting there, enjoying her food with her usual gusto.

"Good morning." Cyrene said, putting down a bowl of stew for Gabrielle and plate of fresh flat bread.

"Good morning." Gabrielle said quietly.

Xena grinned warmly at Gabrielle over her bowl… which Gabrielle found unsettling... seeing Callisto suddenly look so much like her friend.

"'morning!"

"'morning." Gabrielle replied.

She forced herself to sit opposite Xena and see her friend there, not the monster who had owned that body.

Xena reached across and grabbed a flatbread from the pile. She tore a corner off and dipped it into her stew and took a big bite. Gabrielle picked up a spoon and began on her own breakfast. Xena took another bite of her bread before giving a frustrated grunt and dropping the rest back onto her plate.

Gabrielle looked up in surprise.

"You're not finishing your breakfast?"

Xena sat back and sadly patted Callisto's flat stomach.

"I don't seem to have the stomach for it any more… Gods knows what she lived on, I can't seem to eat half of what I used to before feeling full."

"Anger." said Cyrene, from the hearth. "She looks like a woman who lived on her anger."

"You're probably right." said Xena. She looked sadly at her half eaten flat bread. She then looked up at Gabrielle. Gabrielle seemed to have lost her appetite too. She stirred her stew but was yet to take a bite and she usually relished any meal she hadn't had to cook herself. Gabrielle noticed Xena watching her and tried so hard to see her friend in the concern in those dark eyes.

"How's Argos?" she asked to try and rebuff Xena's concern and make this feel normal.

"She's better." said Xena, a smile returning to her borrowed lips. "It will take a few days for the wound to heal enough for us to move on. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure." said Gabrielle a little too brightly. "We could use a break from our adventures and I know your mom likes having you around."

"…Even if I'm not quite myself right now." Xena added knowingly.

Gabrielle met her friend's gaze.

"It will take some getting used to."

Xena ran her fingers through her new blonde hair.

"You're telling me."

For the first time Gabrielle saw this from Xena's point of view. However hard it was for her to look at her friend and see someone else… Xena was inside and seeing every second of hesitation and look of revulsion.

"I'm sorry…" Gabrielle began to say.

"It's okay." Xena reassured her, reaching over to take her hand. Gabrielle hated herself as she felt her skin crawl at the touch of Callisto's long fingers. It really wasn't okay.

Her dark thoughts were interrupted by Joxer crying out in alarm at the sight of Callisto at the breakfast table and then falling down the stairs behind her.

…

That afternoon Gabrielle took herself out of the village, climbing the hill until she found a shady seat under a tree. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts… but out of the corner of her eye she could see that wasn't to be.

"Hey Gabrielle." said Joxer, giving her a friendly wave from halfway down the hill. "I though you could use the company!"

Despite herself Gabrielle smiled at her friend and waved back. She was shocked to realise this was her first genuine smile of the day.

Joxer was a little out of breath when he sat down beside her, his armour giving the usual creak. Despite his bumbling and clumsiness Joxer could also be quite insightful when it came to feelings… _sometimes_. Now was one of those rare times because instead of talking he just sat and smiled at Gabrielle and waited for her to open up. Gabrielle's eyes drifted back to the inn and a slim armour-clad figure walking her golden horse in slow circles in the nearby paddock.

"What if I can't do this?" Gabrielle asked quietly.

"Do what?" Joxer asked.

"When I look at her I can't see Xena I see _her._ Xena sees it too and it hurts her. I don't know what to do!"

"Easy, don't look at her?" Joxer suggested simply.

Gabrielle glared at Joxer and shook her head at the unhelpful suggestion.

"I don't mean like that!" exclaimed Joxer. "It's just… well this isn't the first time Xena has been stuck in someone else's body is it? I read your scrolls when Xena died. When Xena was in Autolycus you closed your eyes and you saw her there. Can't you do that again?"

Gabrielle frowned. Maybe that wasn't such a dumb suggestion after all. The difference was when Xena was in Autolycus he was there too… So much so that she still wasn't sure how much of it had been Xena and how much had been him.

Gabrielle's eyes looked back to Xena's distant figure. Right now she would be willing to do anything to find a way to fix this.

…

By the time Gabrielle had climbed back down the hill Argos was back in her stable and it took a little more searching to find Xena. Gabrielle heard Xena's familiar war cry echo out from the woods, although it's tone was more piercing and less musical coming from Callisto's lips. Fearing Xena was in trouble Gabrielle hurried towards the sound only to find her friend practicing her back flips in a clearing.

Gabrielle paused. Xena didn't usually have to practice her moves they seemed as automatic to her a breathing.

Xena's backflip turned into a backward somersault that vaulted her over a fallen log. Her feet struck a tree beyond before the back somersault became a forward somersault and she landed back on top of the log… and missed her footing…

Gabrielle gasped. Xena didn't slip.

Recovering from the fall Xena picked herself up from the ground and smiled awkwardly at Gabrielle.

"I'm still trying to work out the kinks." she confessed. She stretched and rippled her shoulders. "Different muscles mean I'm going to have to adapt my fighting style until I can tone this body up."

Gabrielle nodded. For a second there Gabrielle had only seen her friend but as Xena came closer with her golden hair and dark eyes she unbidden became Callisto again. Gabrielle groaned and looked down at her feet annoyed at herself.

"I'm sorry Gabrielle." Xena said quietly. "I wish I could make this easier for you."

"It's not your fault." said Gabrielle, although she hadn't lifted her eyes from the floor.

Xena stepped closer, but stopped short of touching her.

"But you can't even look at me." Xena said sadly.

Gabrielle closed her eyes as she turned her head towards Xena.

"Then maybe I shouldn't" she said quietly. "When you were gone before I just closed my eyes and saw you. It's just a case of mind over matter!"

"You can't keep your eyes shut indefinitely." protested Xena.

"Please can we try this." Gabrielle begged her eyes still tightly closed.

She heard a sigh and felt a touch on her arm.

"So can you see me?" Xena asked

The answer was yes. In Gabrielle's mind Xena was there; dark hair; broad smile; bright blue eyes sparkling with affection.

"Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed, pulling her friend into a tight hug. Her eyes tight shut she could convince herself it was her friend in her arms, she just had to hold onto that conviction. Her eyes still shut Gabrielle began to change the image in her mind… Xena's hair grew blonde and her eyes darkened even though the rest of her stayed the same. Gabrielle kept holding into the certainty that even though she was changing the Xena in her mind more and more into a double of Callisto, there were things there that would always make her Xena. The warm smile, the sparkle of mischief, the warmth in those eyes, the trust, the love… everything that made the face that wasn't Xena's be Xena.

When she felt ready Gabrielle pulled out of the hug and opened her eyes to look at Xena again and for the first time clearly seeing her friend in the face before her.

"Xena." She whispered again, and just because she could she planted a soft kiss on Xena's lips.

Xena gasped and jerked back, clearly not expecting Gabrielle's display of affection.

"So I take it it worked?" Xena said eventually, her smile becoming a smirk.

"I think so." said Gabrielle happily hugging Xena tightly again, closing her eyes to cement in her mind once and for all that the woman in her arms was still her best friend.

"So what now?" Xena asked.

…

It was late when they walked back to the inn together.

Cyrene was laying up the evening meal. Joxer was already tucking in. He looked up and jumped as Xena in Callisto's body entered, throwing soup in his face and falling backwards off his stool.

Xena sighed and with Gabrielle's help righted him back on the seat.

"It's okay its me remember." said Xena patiently

"Of course." said Joxer, clearly embarrassed as he blinked the soup from his eyes. "It's just I have the reactions of a cat... Act first, ask questions later…"

"Of course." said Gabrielle, handing him a cloth to wipe his face.

Gabrielle took a seat beside Joxer while Xena took a stool opposite. Cyrene set down their supper before taking a seat beside her daughter.

"What have you two been doing all day?" Cyrene asked, pulling a blade of grass from Xena's hair.

Gabrielle and Xena shared a grin.

"We did a bit of sparring in the woods." explained Xena.

"…Working out the kinks." Gabrielle agreed still smiling.

Joxer looked hopefully at Xena.

"Well if you want to test yourself against a real warrior." He offered, flexing his thin arms.

It went to show Xena's good mood than rather than laugh at the offer she earnestly replied.

"Oh I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet."

"Sure." said Joxer oblivious of the sarcasm. "Just let me know when you are. I'll be here."

"Thanks Joxer." said Xena before wrinkling her nose and grinning at Gabrielle. Happy that she could only see Xena in the face she pulled, Gabrielle laughed happily. She wasn't sure how long this would last but right now she knew the woman with golden hair and dark eyes was her best friend in the whole wide world.

…


End file.
